


Forget-Me-Not

by HowellChristian



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Flowers, Hanahaki Disease, M/M, Romance, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-24
Updated: 2017-02-24
Packaged: 2018-09-26 14:56:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9907709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HowellChristian/pseuds/HowellChristian
Summary: “Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the mind.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there!  
> So, it’s my first fanfic in English and, as English isn’t my first language, I’m in need of a beta-reader right now. I apologize in advance for any mistakes in this work.  
> Hope you enjoy reading it!

_“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the mind.”_

_and a lethiferous weapon to some of us…_

 

 

There was nothing special about this particular autumn night. The temperature hadn’t dropped significantly yet, so the owner of the room was not bothered to close the large window, overlooking a run-down park. Clouds had concealed the moon; only dim street lights were illuminating the half-empty bedroom.

Baekhyun was lying on his bed yet again, with his face pressed to his pillow and arms clutching around chest tightly. It was another lonely night, filled with pain, insomnia and coughing. Though the boy was never really alone _, the flowers had been with him for a while now…_

Boy’s bed was filled with petals; in fact, Baekhyun’s room had been filled with those half-dead parts of flower bodies for so long that he couldn’t be bothered to get rid of them anymore.

He felt a strong wave of agony coming through his body and halting somewhere in his rib case, making his heart ache in pain and lungs tighten with a coughing fit. He wondered if it was going to be the last time oxygen would fill his chest, before his lungs would finally give up on maintaining his existence. Even though the pain seemed to be unbearable, burning his insides and making his mind foggy, Baekhyun could clearly outline only one image of, indeed, an important person, who was about to be the death of him…

_Park Chanyeol_

Baekhyun’s lungs ached again, as his shallow breaths were about to turn into sever coughing. The said boy involuntarily brought one hand to his mouth, trying to muffle the deafening sounds, coming out of him; his other hand tightly wrapping itself around his neck without any specific reason.

_Baekhyun always thought that it was his body acting on its own, trying to suffocate itself and bring a faster end to the feeble boy._

His body bended, knees meeting with chest. Coughs were knocking the air out of his lungs. Baekhyun was feeling sick, to the point of throwing up, but it wasn’t contents of his stomach rising up his throat.

His whole body shook as he coughed, until the noises started to die down eventually, being replaced with sobbing-like. Baekhyun felt something soft in hand and as he took a glance of what it was, his heart sinked a bit more- _seven sky-blue petals._

 

**_++++++_ **

 

It happened around a week after Chanyeol’s arrival to the school.

His red locks, shining eyes and playful smirk had Baekhyun’s heart ache the second the new student entered the class room. But it wasn’t a romantic feeling, _no, no way_ ; Baekhyun felt as if he was about to explode because of weird curiosity building up in his mind. He had to get to know Park Chanyеol.

But, to blonde’s pity, the boy with crimson hair, he was so desperate to approach and talk for even a few moments, had no interest in him. Baekhyun felt hopeless. Insecurity and anxiety soon found their way into boy’s mind and heart, taking roots and filling him entirely.

Days became somehow longer; Baekhyun’s mind was blurry, he was losing his sleep. Nix of appetite also made its appearance in blonde’s behavior. 

But life went on and the boy was growing used to the tight feeling in his chest. People around him were making it a bit better, though each time his eyes would meet Chanyeol’s dark brown ones, his heart would skip a beat and embarrassing reddish shade would appear on his cheeks.

Sehun, Baekhyun’s best friend, would give him a pat on his shoulder every time blonde boy approached his locker, where Sehun usually waited for him to head together to the next classroom. Baekhyun was sincerely glad that he had his best friend; without him, he would’ve gone mad already or done something incredibly dumb. But the raven haired boy always kept everything in perspective for him, even though he was a few years younger than Baekhyun himself.

“Don’t be so dejected, Baek. I’m pretty much sure you can tell me what your precious crush’s next class is and it’s not like he’s going to ditch it in order to hang out with some obnoxiously hot morons anyway.” Sehun softly spoke, trying not to hurt his best friend's feelings, yet not giving up completely on the idea of teasing him a bit.

“I don’t have a crush on him, okay?”  Baekhyun whispered in taut voice, feeling angry with himself because of not being able to control his own emotions. He pulled the necessary books for the next class out of his locker, closing the door with a loud noise. His eyes fixed on Sehun’s face, only to notice that his best friend had grown a bit paler again. “Anyway, are you okay? You seem a bit rough, you know?”

“Do I? Well, never mind, I’m feeling great!” The raven haired boy exclaimed, coughing slightly and tugging his best friend to the next classroom.

_Baekhyun pretended that he didn’t notice a faint gleam of pain in Sehun’s eyes._

 

**_++++++_ **

 

They were in their fourth class- math, and the blonde boy had determination written all over his face as he was desperately trying to solve an equation. He heard his friend coughing somewhere beside him but didn’t pay much attention to it; Sehun had been coughing for almost a month now. He said, he had picked up a virus or something but it wasn’t contagious, so he went on attending school. Baekhyun whined as he got a wrong answer for sixth time in row and turned his head to the raven haired boy.

“I can’t do it anymore. Have you got the right answer yet?” His eyes roamed across his best friend’s face, as Sehun only simply nodded, handing his notebook over to Baekhyun with one hand, and trying to muffle the coughs with his other.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Mr. Cho will definitely let you go to the infirmary, if you’re feeling sick.” reassured the blonde, his voice filled with worry. To that, his friend only lowered his sorrowful eyes, shaking head ever so slightly.

Baekhyun kept staring at Sehun for a few more seconds, before shrugging and paying his full attention back to the equation. But hadn’t even 5 minutes passed, before the said boy started coughing again and rushed out of the classroom, not bothering to ask the teacher for permission to leave.

“Baekhyun, you’d better go and check on him”. The teacher uttered, interrupting a flow of thoughts in Baekhyun’s head.

Indeed, this situation was worrying because the named boy had no clue what was happening to his best friend. He thought, Sehun had a cold, the very average cold but the voice in the back of his mind was saying that Sehun didn’t tell him the whole truth and that he was in trouble.

Baekhyun stormed out of the classroom, trying to proceed, where his friend could possibly go. He ran to the nearest boy’s restroom only to stumble upon a trace of _petals_ on the floor.

Sehun was sitting on the cold tiled surface, with hands covering his face and _ash rose petals_ , surrounding him. It seemed that the raven haired boy didn’t notice the presence of his friend. Baekhyun took one petal in-between his fingers to look a bit closely at it.

_It was soft and tender. Never in his life had Baekhyun seen a flower with such mesmerizing petals._

“No, drop it! Don’t touch! Don’t you know what that is?” Sehun’s voice was breaking, eyes watering as wet traces were re-appearing on his face. He looked broken, lost and, mostly, _mournful._ His usually bright eyes were full of sorrow, as if they were hiding the afflictive dreadful truth, Baekhyun had no clue about.

“What’s going on? Are you okay? What happened? Where did these petals come from?”  Whispered the blonde boy in tremulous voice. He had way too many questions rushing through his head.

_“It’s a hanahaki disease.”_

_“What?”_

_“A hanahaki disease.  A malady born from one-sided love. You cough and throw up flower petals when you suffer from unrequited love.”_

_No way was it true. Baekhyun didn’t believe in such a childish story. No, no way was it true._

“You’re talking nonsense. No, you’re lying. It’s impossible. Where do the petals come from, if you cough them out? It’s not like you get a flower growing in your stomach, right?!”

“The flower is in your lungs _. And it slowly suffocates you._ Haven’t you ever heard of this disease?”

The blonde boy could only shake his head as “no”. He was perplexed; he wanted to scream, to ask many more questions but he was dismayed by what his best friend just told him. _His thoughts just wouldn’t form into words._

“Let me explain everything because, I believe, you’re being tormented by our own assumptions. As you may have already understood, yeah, I’m in love. You remember that transfer kid from China, who left a few weeks ago, don’t you? Well, he is the reason I’m carrying a growing flowers inside my lungs now. I picked up a disease from Irene, you know her, right? She’s recovered now but once I found her crying, surrounded by petals. I think I might have touched one or two by accident. That’s how you get infected.” Sehun finished his speech, lowering his gaze, as some tears started coiling in the corners of his eyes again.

Baekhyun did remember that Chinese kid. His name was LuHan, and Sehun would tell him sometimes about that boy. The boy was cute, with his sweet smile, gleaming eyes and light brown hair. He seemed to be sunshine for Sehun. They would spend some time together and then the raven haired boy would excitingly describe his emotions to Baekhyun. _And now, that innocent boy was slowly killing Sehun._

But soon, another realization dawned on the blonde boy. _He got hanahaki disease as well._ He touched the beguiling petals. And if he was in love with _Park Chanyeol, the seed would evolve into a magnificent flower._

“I’m so sorry, Baek. If it hadn’t been me, you wouldn’t have caught that hanahaki thing.” Sehun’s voice was barely more than a whisper; you could tell he was blaming himself for everything.

“Don’t. I’m alright. Everything will be fine. Now, get up, stop whining and put yourself together. We will find a way out of this.”

_Little did Baekhyun know how severe the curse was._

 

_**++++++** _

 

“We’ve got to look through every single book in this room. We need to collect as much information as possible, you got it?” The two friends were now in school’s library, hoping that old books from its achieves would do some difference and provide them with a resolve.

“Yeah, I got it but I’ve already told you, there’s not much you can do about it.”

Baekhyun omitted his friend’s words and started roaming through book shelves. Hour passed by hour but their search didn’t make any difference.

“Here, look, I’ve told you!” Sehun was now pointing to a line in some weird thick book, probably filled with descriptions of various diseases.

 

_**“Hanahaki byou (** **花吐き病** **)**_

_A disease of the human system that cough up flowers due to severe one-sided love. Its infection route is through contact with vomited flowers. In order to fully recover from the disease, the one’s love must be fulfilled or the infection can be removed through surgery, but the feelings of the patient disappear along with the petals.”_

 

It didn’t sound pleasing at all. Baekhyun was at the loss of his words. He just couldn’t believe something like this was a real thing. It was a terminal malady caused by such an astonishing feeling as love.

“Well, I’ve already said, I’m not in love.” Baekhyun uttered in sotto voice.

_Or that was what the boy wanted to believe in._

 

_**++++++** _

 

Five days passed without a trace of the illness. The blonde boy thought that maybe, just maybe he somehow managed to escape the disease, that maybe only one petal wasn’t enough.

It was Sunday morning; Baekhyun was already left alone, as his parents had to work long hours, sometimes even at the weekends. But he didn’t mind it; living with these people for almost 14 years the boy grew used to their long absences. He was about to go downstairs when a sudden fit of cough knocked the air out of him. He kept coughing until he saw a sky-blue petal in his hand. _A petal of forget-me-not._ Baekhyun felt as if his legs were about to give out because that could not be happening. It was _a myth, not more._

But the petal was so enchanting, so soft to the touch. _And for a second_ _Baekhyun didn’t regret having this splendid plant growing inside of him._

He rushed to his bedroom, clutching the petal in his hand. There he looked for a small box, a casket from his mother- his only memory of her. The blonde boy tenderly put the petal in the ornamental box and placed the box itself in his bedside table.

Day went on, Baekhyun did his homework, coughed some more petals, put them in the casket and felt as if his world was being shattered.

That night he cried. He cried his eyes out, trying to accept the horrible truth. _He was destined to die because of love._

 

_**++++++** _

 

“You seem a bit restless today? Is everything okay?”

It was Monday morning and Baekhyun couldn’t help himself but wondered why Sehun was acting so weird all of a sudden.

“Well, it’s about LuHan. We kept in touch after his departure and yesterday he messaged me, telling that he will be in Seoul for a couple of days in two weeks or so.” It was obvious the raven haired boy was thrilled about the whole situation. “He wants to meet me” Sehun finally said in high-pitched voice, letting out the breath, he was holding.

He seemed to be filled with some unearthly emotions, and Baekhyun wondered if that what love is supposed to feel like. Even though his friend was particularly dying unfairly fast, his mind and heart were still devoted to the transfer boy.

“But you’re going to confess your feeling to him, right? You cannot miss that opportunity. It’s like the fate is giving you one more chance to put all those broken and messed up things into place. Sehun, please, tell me you’re not going to act all that coy in front of him and tell him about all those feeling and emotions, you have been feeling for God knows how long.” The blonde boy was almost begging his friend to confess. _Because just maybe, maybe his best friend would be a bit luckier than he is._

 

_**++++++** _

 

Literature was the last class on Monday and one of three classes Baekhyun shared with Chanyeol, in addition to Chemistry and English. It didn’t take much time for the blonde boy to find out that it was also one Chanyeol’s favorite classes. He never skipped it nor came unprepared. The boy with dyed hair did have passion for everything somehow connected to art. Literature is art as well.

Baekhyun was sitting right behind Chanyeol in that class but always did his best to be as focused as possible. He didn’t want to fail a class, he was actually enjoying from time to time. Their teacher was a really kind woman, always writing some nice quotes on the blackboard before the lesson and letting everyone express themselves in her classes. The blonde boy was grateful for having such teacher in his school.

The quote of today’s lesson was: _“_ _Love without happiness is like a garden without flowers. I don't believe in it.”_ And as soon as Baekhyun read it, he felt as if he was about to cry. _It was unfair._

He didn’t even notice that the discussion had started as his eyes involuntarily fixed on the boy sitting in front of him. Baekhyun knew he was staring but couldn’t move a muscle in his body; he was transfixed somehow. His thoughts were a mess, he couldn’t really think straight; he wanted to touch Chanyeol, wanted to talk to him. _It wasn’t fair that the forget-me-not was now killing him.  
_ But the painfully familiar voice brought him back to the reality. The crimson haired boy was sharing his thoughts on the topic and Baekhyun found himself enthralled by his speech.

“Love always brings happiness; sometimes we’re just too blind to notice it. Even if the person, we give our heart to, cannot return our feeling towards them, it doesn’t make love any less precious. We should be grateful for an opportunity to feel it, even if we’re not loved in return. _You know, love is like dried flowers sometimes. Even though you watch the petals shrink and change color, you cannot help treasuring them.”_

_And that what took Baekhyun to feel as if he had been aptly shoot right in his heart, and Death herself had scorched his neck with a tender icy breath, hands roaming over his body as skillfully as lover, leaving fragile boy breathless and dumbstruck._

As soon as the lesson was over, Baekhyun stormed out of the class room, only to find his best friend coughing near the lockers.

“Hey, you’re okay? Do you want me to help you somehow?” Baekhyun wished there was something he could do but they both knew that the condition was almost incurable.

“Nah, I’m fine.” Sehun mumbled, showing petals in his pocket. “What about you? How was the class with Chanyeol?”

“Fine, I guess.” The blonde boy replied, biting his lower lip. “I started coughing yesterday.” The silence fell between two friends, until Baekhyun broke it with his question.

“Sehun, have you told your parents about hanahaki disease?”

“Yup, why?” The raven haired boy was now closely watching Baek’s face.

“Why haven’t you undergone a surgery to get rid of the flower?” the blonde boy seemed to be really dejected by his own thoughts on that topic.

“Because I don’t mind being in love. I’m not sad or depressed, Baekhyun. Well, not anymore. It was hard in the beginning but then I realized that even though my feelings aren’t mutual, I can’t stop having them. I’m in love with Luhan. My heart flutters every time I think about him, about his eyes and smile, about his laugh and stupid jokes. I don’t want to get rid of this happiness. Moreover, I’d rather die because of ravishing love, than devastating void in my soul.”

“What do you mean by “devastating void”?”  You could tell the blonde boy was fairly confused now.

“The surgery eradicates not only love to a specific person but your overall feelings and emotions, Baek. And it’s quite pricey as well. Are you considering having it?”

_“Not after that literature lesson.” Said Baekhyun’s mind but the boy only shook his head ever so slightly._

 

_**++++++** _

 

Day by day, Baekhyun was falling deeper and deeper for Chanyeol. For his adorable smile and messy hair, for his deep voice and for the spark in his eyes. He had even been partnered with crimson haired boy during chemistry. Baekhyun was now afraid that Chanyeol might have noticed a slight blush, which colored the boy’s checks the second their names were pronounced together.  The blonde boy was also slowly accepting his own fate; he even told his parents about the malady. They’ve tried to persuade him to have the surgery but he was taking none of that. The cough was becoming worse; almost every two hours about three or four petals each time would make their way out of Baekhyun’s lungs. He would put them in the casket to keep as a memory. And even though agony would shoot through his lungs, the petals remained flawless and pure, _so did the blonde’s affection for Chanyeol._

 

_**++++++** _

 

It was around lunchtime on Wednesday; Baekhyun was about to go to the cafeteria and join his best friend there, when he noticed in corner of his eye a tall figure, approaching him. It was Chanyeol. For a second the blonde boy thought his eyes were playing a joke on him or he was just over thinking everything and his crush was just going the same way as him, when the giant with crimson hair stopped right in front of him, blocking the way.

“Hey, you’re Byun Baekhyun, right? We share a few classes together. My name is…”

“I know your name, Chanyeol.” Interrupted the smaller boy, not daring to say anything else.

“All right. So, Baekhyun, I need your help. You know, I’m kind of not very good at math and Mr. Cho said that you’re one of his most talented students. And I wondered if you maybe had some time to help me with it a bit. Please, I really need your help. You’re the only one I can come to.” Chanyeol pleaded. He seemed a bit embarrassed, though it escaped the blonde boy’s notice because he was just trying to comprehend the fact that his crush was now standing right in front of him, asking for help.

“Uh, s-sure. Yeah, I can give you a hand. Yeah, of course.” His voice was slightly trembling and Baekhyun found himself stuttering a bit. He lowered his gaze, feeling terribly vulnerable and small, and his cheeks suddenly heating up.

“Oh, thank you so much. You can’t even imagine how much I appreciate your help!” The tall boy exclaimed, beaming with happiness.

 _And at that moment, another_ _sky-blue_ _forget-me-not bloomed in Baekhyun’s lungs._

That day Baek spent his lunch time with Sehun, who was certainly excited because finally, _finally_ LuHan was coming to Seoul for a whole week. The raven haired boy even got permission from his parents to skip school that week. Baekhyun was excited as well; he wanted his best friend to be happy. And nothing could make Sehun happier, than LuHan. He didn’t even tell about Chanyeol, asking for help; the blonde boy was just sitting there, contemplating his best friend’s delight.

 

**_++++++_ **

 

They started their lessons on Friday. Sehun didn’t come to school that day. Baekhyun was nervous, and so was Chaneyol. They didn’t talk much while studying, but the crimson haired boy turned out to be a great student, easily catching up on and absorbing what Baekhyun was explaining. _Chanyeol thought, Baekhyun was smart and nice. Baekhyun found himself staring a few times._

On Saturday, Chanyeol insisted on studying at his place. They went through some topics and completed various exercises. In two hours they were done with math. The red-haired giant made some green tea for them and they talked about nothing for one more hour. _Chanyeol thought, Baekhyun was funny and had an adorable smile. Baekhyun was_ _enamored of Chanyeol’s laugh and voice._

They didn’t see each other on Sunday but in the evening Sehun called and told that he was free from hanahaki disease. He confessed his feelings and LuHan said that he liked him too; he wanted to tell Sehun everything before leaving but was too afraid of rejection. Baekhyun cried that night again, coughing every two hours those lovely unadulterated petals and putting them in the box. _Baekhyun was sincerely happy for his best friend .That night Chanyeol fell asleep thinking of a particular blonde boy._

The first day of a new school week arrived too soon and Baekhyun was not expecting it so fast. He was indeed excited about studying with Chanyeol after classes but he was feeling especially sick and dizzy that day. They went to Baek’s place to study on Monday but never quite reached it. They strolled through the abandoned park and stopped at a playground there for a bit too long. They swung on a creaky old swing and Baekhyun felt as if he was back in his childhood, where no hanahaki disease excited. They run through the park and laughed and Chanyeol’s heart skipped a beat. Baekhyun coughed a few times but thankfully no petals came out. The dyed haired boy wondered if he was feeling okay but Baek brushed it off, saying that it was just a cold. _Baekhyun thought it was the most fun he had ever had in his life. Chanyeol thought that Baekhyun’s eyes were beautiful._

There were no classes on Tuesday as the whole school had been taken to an excursion to a local historical museum. It didn’t appear too fascinating for most of students but Chanyeol and Baekhyun actually managed to discover something interesting, for instance a bunch of nice facts about different writers and musicians or an old piano, dated back to early nineteenth century. Baekhyun was also introduced to some of crimson haired boy’s friends, who were really nice to him. After the excursion, Chanyeol insisted on treating the blonde boy to some ice cream as a gesture of gratitude for studying with him. They spent a few hours at a cafe, helping each other with math equations and taking delight in eating their sweet dainties. Soon they were joined by Sehun and LuHan, who were just wandering around city and enjoying themselves. It couldn’t escape Baekhyun’s notice that they had their fingers intertwined. They seemed happy and Baek couldn’t help himself but smiled at that delightful scene. Four of them soon found a few topics in common and made some lame jokes from time to time. Though a coughing fit came literally out of nowhere, making the blonde boy excuse himself. They all shared concerned looks as Baekhuyn almost run to the restroom.

“Is he okay? He told me that it was just a cold but I’m not quite sure that you get that sever cough when you’re simply ill.” Chanyeol narrowed his eyes, still looking in direction, the blonde boy run off.

“Yeah, it’s a cold. Don’t worry.” Sehun replied in strangled voice. He shared a fleeting but meaningful glance with LuHan; both boys aware of what was going on.

As soon as Baekhuyn entered the restroom, he found himself leaning on the tiled walls, hand tightly pressed to his mouth. He though he was going to be sick but instead of ejecting bile out of his throat, a handful of petals made its way out of boy’s body. A wave of panic overcame the blonde boy; there he was, sitting on the floor in a café, surrounded by the petals, while his friends were waiting for him. Baekhyun wanted to get up, to come back to them but his body went limp and wouldn’t obey.

“Hey, Baek, are you okay? What’s going on? Are feeling faint?” It was Chanyeol, asking the blonde boy, whether he was fine or not. But the voice seemed so distant to Baekhyun, everything was blurry and spinning and honestly, the blonde boy couldn’t tell where it was due to the tears, obscuring his sight, or a sudden wave of dizziness and weakness.

 

**_++++++_ **

 

It was already dark outside when Baekhyun opened his eyes to the world once again. At first, he couldn’t really recognize where he was but soon his vision cleared and he realized, he was at his own home. It seemed like he was alone but a loud thump was heard from the kitchen and a tall figure made it way in his room. It was Sehun.

“How are you feeling?” His voice was soft, yet you could tell he was trying his best to conceal the worry, which was dangerously close to overwhelming him. “You just passed out and I don’t know… Chanyeol, he called me and I saw you… and you were just lying there and hell, I couldn’t do anything. I don’t know… I’m so sorry, hyung.”

“Stop it. I’m fine, Sehun. You haven’t done anything wrong.”  Baekhyun made an attempt to sit straight but the dizziness worsen the moment he lifted up his head.

“Please, just rest. Here, drink some water. It should help a bit.”

While Sehun was trying to take care of Baekhyun, the blonde boy did his best to re-collect his memories. He could remember coughing flowers, then panicking, feeling weak and then Chanyeol was talking to him.

_So Chanyeol must have seen the petals._

“Sehun, why am I here? Where’re LuHan and Chanyeol?”

“Don’t worry. Chanyeol left a few minutes ago; his mom called and ordered him to come back home. And LuHan is at my place. And what do you mean, why are you here? You fainted, Baekhyun. We couldn’t just let you stay there. Please, just rest now. I’m still worried about your condition.”

“Did you see the petals there? Did Chanyeol touch them?” Baekhyun’s voice was filling up with worry now but he tried to play it cool.

“I didn’t. Chanyeol carried you out of the restroom and we just did our best to bring you here as fast as possible. You were unconscious for three hours. And, sorry, but I don’t know, if he had touched any of them.” The raven haired boy lowered his gaze, feeling powerless. It was obvious that Chanyeol most likely had touched Baekhyun’s petals. But both friends prayed deep in their minds that he somehow managed to avoid them.

Sehun stayed with the blonde boy for three more hours, constantly making sure Baekhyun was okay and wouldn’t suddenly pass out again. They talked about nothing in particular and Baekhyun was thankful for that. It suddenly hit him that his condition was even worse than he expected. And if it wasn’t for Sehun, LuHan and Chanyeol, who knows, what might have happened to him.

He hugged his friend as a goodbye, thanking him again and promising to call if anything would go wrong.

As soon as Baekhyun closed the door behind his friend, he crawled back into his warm bed, feeling feeble and sleepy. _He fell asleep, thinking about Chanyeol’s soft voice. Chanyeol closed his eyes, letting himself being engulfed by Morpheus and thinking of Baekhyun and the petals around him._

 

_**++++++** _

 

On Wednesday they’ve decided to study at Chanyeol’s place again. They were both really quite and it felt a bit awkward, since they both got used to being fairly open around each other. The dyed haired boy never mentioned the petals and the café accident but did ask Baekhyun about his health.  The blonde boy said that he was fine and that he was grateful for Chanyeol’s help. His voice was bearably more than a whisper and the crimson haired boy found it adorable.

“You should eat more, you know. You’re too light for a boy.” Chanyeol uttered with a smile, looking back at his notebook as soon as Baekhyun tore his eyes away from the math textbook. The said boy’s cheeks turned slightly red at the realization that his crush actually carried him in his arms.

“I’ll do my best.” Quietly replied the blonde boy, averting his eyes from Chanyeol’s.

The crimson haired boy adored Baekhyun’s shy eyes and gentle smiles.

_That night Chanyeol coughed a snow-white forget-me-not petal. And so did Baekhyun find a white petal among his sky-blue ones._

 

_**++++++** _

 

“Let’s not study math today.” Chanyeol found Baekhyun after their second period on Thursday near his locker with eyes, gleaming a little less brightly than usually.

“Oh, um, yeah, sure. As you wish.” The blonde boy did his best to keep his voice steady and cool, though he felt his heart being shattered into million pieces. Why did Chanyeol come up with this proposal? Did he hate him? What did Baekhyun do wrong? The smaller boy just could understand where he had messed up. A day before they were smiling and laughing, and now Chanyeol didn’t want him around anymore.

“I’ll see you after your last class near music classroom, if that’s okay with you.” And with that, the bell rang, deafening Baekhyun, and the crimson haired giant rushed to his class in the opposite direction.

Throughout classes, blonde’s mind was occupied by various thoughts; he thought about him fainting in the café, about coughing white petals instead of blue, about Chanyeol’s weird but cute behavior, about his smile and his shinning eyes. He felt a bit childish and foolish since he wasn’t focused on the classes but rather on daydreaming like an eight years old boy falling in love with a pretty girl for the first time.

His reverie eventually helped him to get through the school day and made classes shorter. Baekhyun did try to not be excited about meeting Chanyeol but it just couldn’t be helped. A few minutes of waiting near the music classroom before Chanyeol’s appearance seemed never ending to Baek, though he couldn’t help but smiled when the giant approached him.

“Ready?” Was the only thing said before both of them entered a well-lighted room with a large window. Baekhyun missed this place; the lack of time made him forget about coming here and playing or singing; actually he hadn’t been here for months.

“I know you’re good at playing. And you also sing, don’t you?” Asked the crimson haired boy, motioning to the dark piano. Yeah, the blonde boy was good at playing and singing but he highly doubted that he would be able to live up to Chanyeol’s expectations now.

“I want to play with you. You’ll start and I’ll tune up right after you.” Chanyeol picked up a guitar and waited for Baekhyun to occupy his place. The hesitation was clear on Baekhyun’s face. The memories of old good times were invading his mind; nothing had changed about this room, the same numerous flowers, which seemed to bloom all the year round, the same pictures on the walls, same instruments, same piano. The blonde boy seemed to be taken aback by his own thoughts, so the crimson haired boy put his guitar down before coming up to Baekhyun, taking him by wrist and guiding him to the seat in front of the instrument.

“Come on, don’t be so indecisive. I believe in you. And you’re not here to be judged. I just want to play with you, okay? Don’t be afraid.” Chanyeol’s voice brought the smaller boy back to reality and he hesitantly took his seat. There was a vase with ash roses, placed on the top of the piano and Baekhyun found himself getting destructed again.

“Do you like these flowers?”  The dyed haired boy asked quietly. “I love flowers. They seem to give me hope somehow.” He grabbed his guitar again, waiting for the blonde boy to answer. But Baekhyun couldn’t say anything.

He just started playing and soon, as it had been promised, Chanyeol tuned up. Nothing was set or arranged but the melody was full of harmony; Baekhyun was running his fingers lightly over the keys and Chanyeol‘s strumming was completing it. Ethereal sounds filled the room and soon Baekhyun started singing. His voice was a bit croaky but none of boy’s mined it. They both were opening their hearts to each other, each note held a meaning, only two of them could understand. Velvety harmony covered every surface in the room, leaving no space for the reality. _Baekhyun and Chanyeol were creating their own world._

They played a song after a song; they both sang and shared smiles. Baekhyun felt as his mind had finally reached peace and his soul was filled with something warm. He was truly happy. And so was Chanyeol; a smile never left his face while two of them were playing. They could tell each other feelings and emotions, concerns and fears as if melody had become their secret language.

But suddenly Baekhyun stopped playing. A hurricane was now back in his mind and soul, destroying the harmony, he was so desperate for.

 _“No, Chanyeol._ _Flowers are without hope. Because hope is tomorrow and flowers have no tomorrow.”_

_“Just like me.” Echoed in his mind and with that, Baekhyun left their world, with tears cooing in his eyes._

 

_**++++++** _

 

He wrote a small note that evening and put it the casket, now full of sky-blue and white petals.

_And that night he coughed seven sky-blue petals and one snow-white flower. He put them tenderly in the precious box._

_And with that, a flower withered away, leaving boy’s body cold and_ _lifeless_ _._

 

**_++++++_ **

 

Chanyeol found odd Baekhyun’s absence on Friday. He felt a little lost and confused because the small blonde boy didn’t say anything. Not like he was supposed to but Chanyeol thought that maybe, just maybe Baekhyun actually trusted him. He wanted to call the smaller boy but realized that he didn’t actually have his phone number. Sure, he could’ve just visited him to find out why he missed school but the idea was laid aside. Chanyeol thought that there was no need to worry. There was plenty of reasons why Baekhyun could skip a school day. _Chanyeol coughed that night a few white petals and fall asleep, thinking that he had to ask Baekhyun’s phone number._

The blonde boy didn’t attend school on Saturday too. Chanyeol was getting worry. Sehun didn’t turn up either, so there was no one who could tell the dyed haired boy what had happened to Baekhyun. That day Chanyeol went to music classroom all alone, hoping that music would fill the empty space in his soul because of the absence of the blonde boy. But everything sounded wrong; the notes seemed rougher and less melodic that time. The room seemed darker and flowers seemed less beautiful. At home, Chanyeol coughed again. He knew about his disease but he couldn’t recall seeing anyone sick nor could he think of someone he liked that much. It seemed like the malady came out of nowhere, without a reason even. _Chanyeol fell asleep, thinking about delicate petals and fragile boy that night._

On Sunday, Chanyeol woke up earlier than usual though he almost didn’t leave his room that day. He was thinking of anyone, who could’ve possibly caused the disease, and about his further actions. At midday it hit him that there was a slight possibility that he liked Baekhyun a bit more than just a friend.  This evening he decided to pay the boy a visit on Monday, if he wouldn’t show up at school again. _At midnight, Chanyeol thought that his heart belonged to the blonde boy. He fall asleep, thinking of them, playing music and laughing together._

As it was expected, the small blonde didn’t turn up at school. And so, it was now Chanyeol’s time to take an action. He ditched his last class, not bothering if he’ll get in trouble for that. Thankfully, he could clearly recall the route to Baekhyun’s house, so it took him only about twenty minutes to get there. But there was something different about the place now. It seemed more abandoned than usually. The curtains were drawn though it wasn’t that dark outside. Even Baekhyun’s window was closed and the dyed haired boy could feel that something was wrong. He was about to take a step into the garden when the door of the house cracked and Sehun came out. From afar he seemed pale and sullen. He had a box in his hands but Chanyeol wasn’t so sure of what the object actually was. It seemed like the raven haired boy hadn’t noticed his presence until he bumped straight in Chanyeol. It was obvious Sehun was taken aback by shock. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but only lowered his gaze, not being able to look at the crimson haired giant.

“So, you’ve come as well! How is Baekhyun? He has been missing classes and I’m a bit worried. Is he okay? Do you think I can check on him?” Chanyeol went on, asking different questions but Sehun remained silent. The giant saw a few drops of tears on the asphalt and heard a shaky breath from Baekhyun’s friend.

“It’s for you, Chanyeol.” Sehun stretched out his hand with a casket, attempting to leave, as soon as Chaneyeol took it from him, but was stopped by the boy’s tight grip on his upper arm.

“How’s Baekhyun? Can I see him? Is he coming to school tomorrow?” Chanyeol seemed to be a bit perturbed and confused now, with his voice becoming strangled.

 _“I’m sorry_ _Chanyeol but he’s not. He’s not coming to school tomorrow nor ever again. Baekhyun is dead.”_

And with that, tears started streaming and falling down Sehun’s cheeks, making him turn around and leave the terrace in hurry.

_“Baekhyun is dead.” Echoed in Chanyeol’s mind as his legs gave out and he fall to his knees, tears leaving wet traces on his face and a shrill cry halting somewhere in his throat, leaving him breathless and voiceless. Their crystal pure world was shattered by an ephemeral love._

 

_**++++++** _

 

_He couldn’t recall coming home or going back to his room. It was dark outside and he had a small casket in his hands. It was full of snow-white and sky-blue petals of forget me not. Just like those he coughed up himself. There was a magnificent pure white flower placed on the top and a small folded note in neat handwriting._

_Chanyeol took the note in his hands and read it:_

_“Silently, one by one,_  
_in the infinite meadows of heaven,_  
_blossomed the lovely stars,_  
_the forget-me-nots of the angels..._

_Chanyeol, flowers have no tomorrow. Just like us._

_With love,_

_Baekhyun.”_

_A coughing fit overcame the crimson haired boy again. But this time, there was a pale-green petal in his hand instead of pure white one._


End file.
